A method for initiating a data storage facility recovery process in a data processing system having a first peer data storage facility and a second peer data storage facility communicating with the first peer data storage facility by a communication link. The method of initiating a recovery process is invoked by one peer data storage facility upon another peer data storage facility operating under a peer to peer remote copy (PPRC) protocol. Data copied from a first peer data storage facility to a second peer data storage facility is monitored for errors. Upon detection of an error by one peer data storage facility, recovery and data collection operations are initiated on the other peer data storage facility. Preferably, the initiation of recovery and data collection operations occurs out of band, over a second communication link between the peer data storage facilities.